Edina Students Start School Early in 2014

Sharpen your pencils, and pull your lunchbox out of the closet: Edina Public School students return to school this year on September 3 (grades 1–12) and September 4 (early childhood, special education and kindergarten). As in years past, school starts after Labor Day, but that won’t always be the case.In January, after gathering feedback from parents, teachers and other community members, the school board approved a pre-Labor Day start for the 2014-15 academic year. The district will join many others around the nation with an August 25 start date, one that takes advantage of kids’ “readiness to be learners” at the end of a long summer, says superintendent Ric Dressen. The district won’t increase the number of days in the school calendar, says Dressen, but “is looking at ways to maximize our time for learning.”